The Dopamine Menu: A Tool to Disconnect
To be honest, I still struggle a lot with phone use. I know social media will not make me any happier, in fact, it takes away precious time I’d prefer to actually spend with my friends. I haven’t had Tiktok in about three years, and only have access to Instagram on my computer. Still, I find myself spending way more time than I’d like on my phone/on a screen apart from school/work. A little while back, I came across a YouTube video on the concept of a ‘Dopamine Menu’, as a way to combat this addiction. In this blog, I’ll take you through the method!
This blog is inspired by a video titled ‘How To End Doomscrolling By Making A Dopamine Menu!’. (https://youtu.be/spR_TGowWGc?si=ApQjL5E2IReVWrWU)
The concept in short
A ‘Dopamine menu’ is a list of non-scrolling related activities that will boost your dopamine. It strives to replace mindless phone use with real-life experiences that will make you happier in the short- and long term. Creating your own menu forces you to think of activities actually bringing you joy, writing them down and displaying them, helps you de-prioritize scrolling. The ‘menu’ aspect is related to the set-up of the list, which categories tasks by their duration and required effort.
Appetizers and Entrees are less demanding tasks which can be done in 30 minutes maximum. Mains require more effort to start, but in turn will be more rewarding. Sides act as motivation boosters for other tasks on your to-do list. Finally, Specials are items that will boost dopamine a lot more than others, but aren’t always a viable option because of time/money constraints. However, planning them can act as motivation to complete other tasks, as they are something to look forward to!
When finished, your personal dopamine menu should be displayed in a visible (digital) area, where it can serve to remind you to substitute phone/screen.
An example of a dopamine menu:
Exemplary Items to Include:
A Dopamine Menu should be personal to you, however, getting started can be hard. I’ve included some examples to give you inspiration!
Appetizers [~5 min]
- Stretch
- Drink a glass of water
- Dance to a song
- Do 5 minutes of an at-home workout
- Do your skincare
- Water your plants
- 5 minute meditation
Entrees [15-30 min]:
- Follow a new recipe
- Play an instrument
- Read a book
- Go on a walk (with a friend)
- Call a loved one
- Journal
- Make yourself a healthy meal/snack
Mains:
- Do something you’ve been putting off for a while
- Do something that scares you
- Follow a new workout (class)
- Do a deep clean
- Do volunteer work
- Try out a new hobby
Side dishes:
- Listen to music
- Create a cozy atmosphere
- Do your tasks along with a friend
- Listen to a podcast
Specials:
- Go to a concert
- Book a holiday
- Get a massage
- Go for a night out
- Buy something of your wishlist
- Fun activity with friends
- Go to a museum
- Try out a new restaurant
Create your own!
Below you’ll find a template to create your own. Have fun and use it to your advantage!
NB: In my own template, I’ve excluded the ‘dessert’-section as I believe it is not necessary to spend more time on this section since these activities are the ones we default to, and are trying to replace most of the time.
Leave a Reply